Former president Asif Ali Zardari’s health condition has not improved, according to latest reports available with the media on Sunday.
Sources said that Zardari’s blood sugar level was not normal, which might affect his kidneys and bladder. It is also feared that Zardari’s blood platelets were dropping rapidly, which could be life-threatening if left untreated. Moreover, the former president is physically weak, and has been diagnosed with abnormal swelling of glands in his bladder.
Furthermore, he has been undergoing physiotherapy to reduce the backache. The hospital’s administration has formulated a four-member medical board for his treatment.
It may be mentioned here that Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho on Friday had said that Zardari was suffering from spinal pain because of a condition called spondylolysis and he desperately needed treatment which was only possible abroad.
“His [Zardari’s] vertebrae L1, S5 and S4 are affected and his pain is growing worse because he is transported for court hearings in armoured personnel carriers [APCs],” Pechuho, who is Zardari’s sister, told the media at the Sindh Secretariat.
“There are no physicians available in Pakistan who can perform a spinal cord surgery on him [Zardari],” she added. The provincial minister said it was the responsibility of the state to provide all medical facilities to her brother.
Spondylolysis is characterised by a degeneration of the discs between the vertebrae. It causes significant, chronic pain that interferes with daily activities and is not alleviated by nonsurgical treatments. It required surgery to repair the fracture and, if necessary, fuse two or more bones in the spine.
